Executive Chef

Elliot Anderson

Tell us about your role:
I’m the Executive Chef at Coltivare. I’m responsible for the program design of the restaurant and banquet entities. My responsibilities include menu writing, costing, allocation of labor, banquet consultation as well as training staff and keeping efficient and purposeful systems to create an excellent customer experience.

How did you come to join the Coltivare team?
I graduated Culinary Institute of America in 2005. I moved almost immediately to New Orleans. New Orleans to me is the epitome of American cuisine. I feel like it showcases the melting pot of culture and the food is truly something unique that is not a reproduction but instead is authentic and is something really American. I worked in several restaurants/hotels and even a bakery before returning to Ithaca in 2012. I took a job in a large scale catering company where I worked for 5 years before coming to Coltivare as the Banquet Chef.

Why Coltivare?
Coltivare is by far the most exciting culinary endeavor in Ithaca. The mission is a bold one. Educate students in a for profit environment while using local ingredients. In my opinion it is a righteous contribution to the field and was something that I had to be a part of.

Favorite feature of the Finger Lakes region?
I like Tompkins County. Life here moves at the right speed. Ithaca has a city feel and a unique culture. Drive 15 minutes in any direction and you’re in the countryside sprinkled with quaint towns and farms.